“When Are We Getting Bake?”
March 13th, 2024
The Bucs GM shared today how he was hounded by his head coach religiously.
Later today, Joe will share an exclusive look at how Todd Bowles has an influence on the Buccaneers offense.
Today, Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht gave a different kind of taste.
Speaking at a One Buc Palace news conference celebrating the re-signing of Baker Mayfield to a three-year, $100 million contract, Licht gave insight as to how much Bowles wanted Mayfield.
A year ago, Tampa Bay was hunting for a quarterback in the wake of Tom Brady’s retirement. Licht said Bowles hounded him steadily to sign Mayfield. Twice daily starting weeks before free agency began, per Licht, Bowles was asking him, “When are we getting Bake?”
Licht said he would remind Bowles there are rules to follow when it comes to players still under contract with other teams, like Mayfield was with the Rams.
Joe really enjoys the Mayfield-Bowles marriage, but Joe did feel a little sad today for the Kyle Trask fanatics.
Hearing Licht’s anecdote furthers Joe’s reality that Trask had no chance of winning the 2023 starting quarterback job barring an injury to Mayfield or him completely imploding.
March 13th, 2024 at 11:38 am
Baker’s career parallels Brees including his old club losing confidence in him and playing with the shoulder injury. Hope the career trajectory continues.
Go Bake!!!
March 13th, 2024 at 11:42 am
I just don’t get why Bowles and the team has been so inclined to lie to the fans about the so called QB battle that allegedly happened last year when it was very clear from the beginning that Maybefield was gifted (not earned) the starting job from the get go.
The team should’ve traded Trask last year after they signed Maybefield.
March 13th, 2024 at 11:45 am
He got his man.It also shows how little faith he had in Trask and Trask was never going to be the starter.
March 13th, 2024 at 11:46 am
DON’T BE SO QUICK TO DISMISS TRASK
Eventually Baker will get injured and Trask will get his shot. Based on how Baker plays, it is only a matter of time. When he does, we should hope Trask is amazing. It’s a win if Trask stays or becomes trade bait.
March 13th, 2024 at 11:48 am
None, nada, zero, zip, ziltch!
March 13th, 2024 at 11:54 am
Haven’t you guys been listening…the bucs couldn’t trade Trask for a candy bar…he has zero trade value…Baker is going to be here awhile…get used to it or find another team to bitch about
March 13th, 2024 at 12:03 pm
Trask will have to leave to get a shot at a starting role barring injury. He may not be starting QB material. Not seeing action for 3 years, the mental and physical muscle memory degrades so I really don’t ever see him in a starting role.
Too bad a wasted 1st round pick to only be a Door #2 option in a negotiation.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:04 pm
if bake transform into brees I will happily eat crow the entire time
March 13th, 2024 at 12:04 pm
Everyone in the building keeps telling you guys how bad Kyle Trask is yet you think he deserves a chance for no reason. He gets his chances in practice. We saw him in preseason games not even look good against third stringers and process slow as hell. I don’t know why you guys think he will automatically be better in the real season. I don’t know why you guys think an immobile QB who isn’t a good leader will be better than the QB who is one. One his teammates love to play for. You think the players are gonna wanna play for Kyle when they have Baker as an option. A way better one at that? HOFers want to play for him. Speaks volumes. End of discussion.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:05 pm
No shock there Bowles was and more than likely year to year with the Bucs so he was searching for a lifeline, lets be clear there is no development of quarterbacks here in Tampa and Bowles knows this. So it makes sense he wanted what he perceived to be an upgrade over Kyle and there is nothing wrong with that.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:07 pm
Boss Says:
March 13th, 2024 at 12:04 pm
if bake transform into brees I will happily eat crow the entire time
……
No you won’t. You and a few others will always find something to bitch about concerning Mayfield, right down to how he laces up his cleats.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:10 pm
Trask who, now?
March 13th, 2024 at 12:14 pm
Trask sat behind the GOAT and could not learn from him. Theres was no doubt Baker was going to be the starter. Trask was mediocre in college and that shows in the pros since he is still a backup.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Just because Bowles had a favorite ( all coaches have an opinions going in) doesn’t mean Trask never had an opportunity to change minds so the competition wasn’t legit.
If Trask was this super elite QB the traskites are always claiming there’s no way Licht ties up 50 Million guaranteed on an inferior QB. I’ll be rooting for Kyle to close out games well in hand and no more putting baker out there half dead.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:15 pm
BakerFan Says:
March 13th, 2024 at 12:03 pm
Trask will have to leave to get a shot at a starting role barring injury. He may not be starting QB material. Not seeing action for 3 years, the mental and physical muscle memory degrades so I really don’t ever see him in a starting role.
Too bad a wasted 1st round pick to only be a Door #2 option in a negotiation
Bakerfan I would have to agree with you; I think Kyle will go the ways of Craig Erickson barring an injury to Baker, he more than likely isn’t going to get a chance to play. Erickson at least got a shot and didn’t play all that bad considering the team, and then Dilfer was drafted, and it was over for Craig.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:27 pm
Tony Marks Says:
March 13th, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Just because Bowles had a favorite….
……
I don’t know Tony, based upon this blog post Trask would of had to do a way lot more to win. Sounds like Bowles had always like Baker since he came out. Leadership of a team…. probably proved Baker as the way to go over Trask. But really it does not matter, it is what it is, how many times in life are people past over. Trask people will just have to follow him once he leaves, I know I won’t but do wish him well.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:30 pm
Agree with the folks saying Baker was always clearly better.
The coaches have seen Trask for years. If they really felt he could have been the answer, they would have played him.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:43 pm
“If Trask was this super elite QB the traskites are always claiming”
Except no one has ever said Trask is super elite. No one.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:44 pm
Baker is better! Trask is better! Blah blah blah. There are so many important things to discuss concerning our Bucs other than Baker and Trask.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:47 pm
Bowles was awfully close to following Josh McDaniels into the ranks of the unemployed last season. Had to be.
When he goes there is a good chance that the ‘New Guy’ wants ‘His Guy’. Bucs have Mayfield at just under a 20 mil average for his first two seasons and a 20mil out in case things go to shat and it keeps flowing into the Bowle.
Can’t say for sure what the Bucs will look like coming out of the gate but a Drumming by the Falcons in Prime Time week one might start the slide.
On average 7 teams that were in the playoff don’t make it the following year.
Three years straight with Brady who always found a way to get there and one year limping in the following season after he left. 4 straight.
Even Mac Jones had some success and made playoffs with the Patriots shortly after Brady left and then the bottom fell out.
Eventually averages and odds catch up.
Next go round will certainly require more than beating out a guy that never started and will have more QB’s than just himself in the price range.
It’s great when a guy can more triple his pay in one season but can also fall back to earth pretty quickly. Invest Wisely.
March 13th, 2024 at 1:01 pm
There’s literally nothing earth shattering in any of this.
Trask was ALWAYS going to have to completely blow Mayfield out of the water during offseason and camp. That did not happen, and it’s even questionable/debatable that Trask even won at all. Mayfield was way ahead of him during OTAs. Only later on did Trask begin to close the gap with Mayfield. I know the Trask fans like to point to the one or two days where he performed better than Mayfield, but that simply was not enough. These coaches, by and large, have seen Trask for three years so ‘they know what they have’ in him.
March 13th, 2024 at 1:04 pm
Don’t feel sorry for Trask. He’s got THE best job in the NFL. Back up QB and clipboard holder.
March 13th, 2024 at 1:14 pm
Maybe the reason Bowles wanted Mayfield was he had done his homework and saw that Mayfield had been ranked 11 and 12 by the NFL qb index for 2 years all while playing on the worst team in the NFL, maybe? Whatever it was it paid off because during last season week 15 he was ranked #9, ahead of Mahomes. So Cone you can’t do much better. 11, 12 and 9. Don’t see much “falling back to earth” here. But that’s alright, it’s time to do some baking!!!!
March 13th, 2024 at 1:18 pm
Licht is not Ring of Honor material. RELAX JOE!!!
March 13th, 2024 at 1:25 pm
All these Brees comments. Brees. Dilfer. Brad Johnson. Rodgers. Favre.
All won one more SB than Marino.
It’s not just the QB. It’s also the Defense.
Defense’s success is based on pass rush.
March 13th, 2024 at 1:26 pm
Trask was second round pick not first
(Baker fan
March 13th, 2024 at 1:54 pm
Joe said
Joe really enjoys the Mayfield-Bowles marriage, but Joe did feel a little sad today for the Kyle Trask fanatics.
————————————
We just want to see the best quarterback play. We pull for Baker when he is on the field because we are Bucs fans first. There’s no need to feel sad for us, as long as we are winning.
March 13th, 2024 at 2:13 pm
Traskcan is the 2nd round rookie contract version of Ryan Griffin…Somehow stays on the roster without ever contributing to the team on Sundays.
I’m sure Kyle will make a great insurance salesman in a matter of months…Or he can head over to Italy & be Ryan’s backup for the Skorpions Varese!
March 13th, 2024 at 2:15 pm
Glad u got the correct call Trask was round #2 he is kinda like taking a dump or # 2 whatever u prefer to call it
March 13th, 2024 at 2:24 pm
Bucs just signed Jordan Whitehead to a 2 year deal….nice!!!!
March 13th, 2024 at 2:41 pm
Help me understand why, with his job on the line, he would play an inferior QB in Baker, if Trask clearly out played him? Simple question.
March 13th, 2024 at 2:53 pm
Bowles liked Baker back in the draft when he was at the Jets and they took a different QB – Darnold. There must be something about Trask that we aren’t seeing but the coaches and team see. Otherwise he probably would have been played more.
March 13th, 2024 at 3:35 pm
Maybe it had something to do with Baker being ranked by the NFL qb index in the top third of nfl qbs for 2 seasons out of 5 while being on the worst team in the NFL and playing half the season of another with a broken shoulder and completely torn labrum. NFL qb index #11 & #12. Apparently whatever Bowles bet on paid off because the NFL qb index ranked him #9 this year ahead of week 15. Yes at week 15 he was ranked ahead of Mahomes.
March 13th, 2024 at 3:50 pm
Yeah, I’ve grieved and moved on now, not wasting my time hoping Trask gets to be the starter for our beloved Bucs. I will always appreciate his time in Florida scaring the crap out of Nick Saban, but barring injury, which I will never hope for, he will not play. I wish him well, hope he gets a shot somewhere, I really think he can be a quality qb somewhere. Baker is QB1 and I’m rooting for him. He grew on me and honestly if it wasn’t for Trask, I would have been one of his biggest fans initially. He got a raw deal in CLeaveland and I’m happy he seems to have found a home here.
March 13th, 2024 at 4:03 pm
Trask was the very last pick of the 2nd round. Let’s not pretend he was a low first/high second rounder. Hope he turns into trade bait somehow.
March 13th, 2024 at 6:02 pm
Rich Eisen is a Baker Boy….it just gets better and better….they just did a piece where Baker basically says he left meat on the bone so the bucs can build a team around him hense the team friendly contract….I’m getting such good vibes for this team all off season….can’t wait to see how they tackle the draft….great days to be a buc fan!!!
March 13th, 2024 at 6:19 pm
Everyone is entitled to their opinion Tony, just like Bowles.
Again, if the competition was close, even if Trask had a slight edge, the wise move is to go with the vet and be happy you have a capable back up.
It’s a win win situation.
Traskites, super elite etc.
Oh the hyperbole!
^^mtn^^
Since ’76
March 13th, 2024 at 6:29 pm
All the trade Trask myopia is hilarious, for what?? Trask MIGHT get a tryout with a NFL team after the Bucs don’t offer him when his rookie deal is up, MAYBE. Kyle Trask’s only chance at starting will be in the XFL.
March 13th, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Maybe these details are new. Everyone knew BM6 was the man once signed last season!! Everyone with any common sense that is!!!
March 13th, 2024 at 7:46 pm
Cometowin2 Says:
March 13th, 2024 at 11:38 am
Baker’s career parallels Brees including his old club losing confidence in him and playing with the shoulder injury. Hope the career trajectory continues.
Go Bake!!!
_______
Do yourself a solid and go on PFR and cross reference Mayfield’s first 91 games vs Mayfield’s first 89. Their numbers are so ridiculously close that it’s scary. Mayfield definitely has more physical ability but their styles were very similar at that stage of their careers.
March 13th, 2024 at 8:09 pm
Buc1987 Says:
March 13th, 2024 at 12:43 pm
“If Trask was this super elite QB the traskites are always claiming”
Except no one has ever said Trask is super elite. No one.
–
Straight up lie all you want to . Over the last 6 months we have seen people say he was Steve Young waiitng to happen, he would dominate the league and we would easily win a superbowl just by starting him.
March 13th, 2024 at 10:03 pm
I think a LOT of you “Johnny come lately” geniuses Better wrap your heads around THE FACT that Bowles DIDN’T want ANYTHING TO DO WITH TOM BRADY EITHER! InFACT, Bowles COST Brady LIFE LONG RECORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brady WAS NEVER coming back to play for the CLULESS DOLT EVER AGAIN!! TODD BOWLES RUINED TOM BRADYS LEGACY ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT BOLWES SCREWED UP!!!! AND BOWLES COST US ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO WITH THE MAN, THE LEGEND, THE BEST TO EVER DO IT!, “TOM BRADY” FROM LEADING OUR TEAM ANY FURTHER! TODD BOWLES DID THAT!!!!!!!!!
“Now why don’t you Johnny’s let that roll around in your journeyman heads!”
I’m not for Trask or Mayfield in particular BUT WHAT’S NOW CLEAR IS THAT Trask NEVER HAD A FAIR SHOT AT IT…… PERIOD
THAT IS NOW A PROVEN FACT!
I AM A BUCCANEER FAN! I’M NOT A FAN GIRL LIKE THE JOHNNY COME LATELY’S AND I’M NOT HAPPY ABOUT WHAT I JUST READ!
MAYFIELD IS NOT ELITE! HE IS ONLY MIDDLE OF THE ROAD “UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE” AND ALL EYES WILL BE ALL OVER HIM THIS YEAR! HE WILL BE SCRUTINIZED BY EVERY NETWORK IN THE WORLD THIS YEAR AND HE’D BETTER EARN THAT MONEY!
THERE IS A REASON THAT AN EARLY OUT WAS INSISTED ON IN HIS CONTRACT AND IT’S “NOT” BECAUSE HE’S ELITE!!!!!
We WILL SEE this year and the fact that ALL OF MY BUCS WEREN’T GIVEN A SHOT TO TAKE US TO THE SUPERBOWL YEAR AFTER YEAR AS A “FRANCHISE QB” HAS ME M.A.H!
And the GIRLS that are SO DESPERATE TO LICK MAYFIELDS DANGLERS…. YOU’RE GROSS! AND THE MAJORITY OF YOU LADIES THAT RUN YOUR YAP AREN’T EVEN BUC FANS SO “YOU” can KISS MY GRITS!
PATHETIC!
With ALL of that said, AT THIS POINT, Mayfield has my TOTAL SUPPORT since he is now officially MY BUCCANEERS starting qb whether by hook or by CROOK and so “MY TEAM” isn’t Embarrassed,.I HOPE Mayfield HAS IT FIGURED OUT FINALLY!!!
ALSO, Kyle Trask DESERVES A SHOT! BUT THE BUCCANEERS DO NOT DESERVE HIM ONE WAY OR THE OTHER! I have almost NO DOUBT that Trask is OUT of “Here” ASAP TO FIND A TEAM THAT “HE CAN TRUST!” Be Owes the Buccaneers NOTHING after what Bowles HASN’T DONE AS A RESPONSIBLE HEAD COACH BECAUSE BOWLES SIMPLY ISN’T A GOOD MUCH LESS GREAT HEAD COACH! If he was then the ENTIRE TEAM would appreciate him. BUT BESIDES THE GIFTED THE JOB MAYFIELD, DON’T!
Tell me WHICH “offensive” guy praises Bowles? OH, I know, NOBODY!
You PATHETIC “TAG ALONGS” …. Well, you don’t mean much…. You’re NOT a TRUE BUCCANEER FANS so I skip your muttered crap anyways. I’m ONLY INTERESTED IN REAL BUCCANEER FANS OPINIONS…!
AND after the Job was GIFTED TO BOWLES AND BOWLES DID NOT EARN IT AS A GIANT FAILURE THAT WAS “MADE CLEAR” THE YEAR BEFORE WHEN HE ABSOLUTELY BLEW OUR CHANCE AT TWO SUPER BOWLES IN A ROW WITH HIS LOUSY CALLS! HE LOST THE ENTIRE DEFENSE THAT NIGHT AND “NOBODY” KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT! HE BLEW IT JUST LIKE HE DID MULTIPLE TIMES LAST YEAR AS HE WAS HIS TYPICAL LOST SELF WITH TONS OF TIME OUTS IN HIS POCKET MUCH LESS HIM NOT EVEN KNOWING WHETHER IT WAS NIGHT OR DAY, MUCH LESS WHAT TIME IT WAS IN ANY GIVEN GAME!
I AM NOT HAPPY THAT THE MAN STRAIGHT UP LIED TO ME! (Concerning Buccaneer Fans ONLY) YOU DON’T CARE THAT HE LIED TO EVERY BUC FAN ON THE PLANET REPEATEDLY, WELL THAT’S YOUR WEAKNESS, NOT MINE!!!
March 13th, 2024 at 10:59 pm
Oh man, don’t get so excited. It’s just a fun game. You’re going to stroke out brother. The team is coming together from what it looks like. You have a darn good qb that took you 2 deep against the odds. He learned things last year and will be better this year. With just a FEW improvements TB will go deeper and it is going to be sweet. Relax and enjoy. There is hope again.
March 13th, 2024 at 11:35 pm
You can’t be too upset about Brady. He accomplished so much in his career and people loved him. He proved over and over again he was the undisputed GOAT. Despite coaches and others, he excelled. It will be a long time before anyone touches his accomplishments. He is what they call a “once in a life time athlete”. He had IT. It’s too bad we all have to get old.
March 14th, 2024 at 12:40 am
It’s funny how we judge each other so harshly even when we weren’t there to know what all went into a decision. He has won 3 superbowls as a player, as an executive and as a defensive coordinator. I would venture to say that’s a pretty impressive resume. But there are always “those” that know better even when they have never been there and done anything close to that.
March 14th, 2024 at 12:54 am
Why don’t you let this roll around in your head obvious.Your team was hurting for a qb after the GOAT left. Bowles apparently has a good eye for talent obviously. He found a guy that had been through hell and still was ranked #11 & #12 in the league by the NFL qb index. Thats in the top 3rd for 2 years while on the worst team. Not to mention taking that sewage team from 0-16 to 11-5, yeah. While all the idiots were saying Baker would never start in the NFL again Bowles saw something different and it paid out huge. Instead of winning 4 like all the other experts were saying he went 2 deep and almost went 3 deep. So I don’t have a d*** clue as to what the h*** you are complaining about. FYI Baker in week 15 was ranked #9 by the NFL qb index. What in the world do you expect from a coach?
March 14th, 2024 at 1:00 am
It’s all about Trask isn’t it? Trask is a good qb but obviously so far not NFL starting good. It’s hard to beat out the qb that is ranked #9 out of 32.
March 14th, 2024 at 1:17 am
I wish I was a “real” Buc fan so I could post here and you would pay attention to me LMAO
March 14th, 2024 at 12:24 pm
Now now now boys, any more talk like that and I’m going to change my name from “Toad Bowels” to “Totally Balls”
March 14th, 2024 at 3:33 pm
@Obvious
More like Oblivious, lol
March 14th, 2024 at 4:17 pm
Davyboy
You seem to be missing the point. Should I be surprised that you are claiming that at the time Mayfield was hired for 4 million dollars that you claim he was ranked #11 or #12? SERIOUSLY? Well I appreciate the laughs since you’re CLEARY JOKING!
I seem to recall him rank with a QB ranking of “26” when we hired the 4 million dollar man! Hey but sure thing (wink wink) he was rank as number 11 or 12. YEAH RIGHT!!!
I’m not mad at you, you’re a Johnny but at least you didn’t come of as a D. I. C. K. So you’re cool with me but try to get it from an actual “fans” point of view. WE WERE LIED TO! We were lied to by TODD BOWLES AND I WANT HIS HEAD FOR IT!
As far as Mayfield goes since you’re worshiping at his commercials altar (star struck or a college fan) well no matter what To You he can do no wrong.
For Me, he IS MY QB and he has my FULL SUPPORT NO MATTER WHAT but SO DOES ALL OF THE BUCCANEERS PLAYERS! Not just somebody’s hero worship. I DON’T GIVE A CRAP ABOUT HERO WORSHIP! AND IN THE END, MAYFIELD “DID NOT” EARN THE JOB! HE WAS GIFTED THE JOB AND WAS OUT GUNNED BY TRASK! “THAT “IS” “THE’ “FACTS”! WE ALL SAW IT AND QUESTIONED IT AND WE WERE LIED TO!
I HAVE NO RESPECT FOR BOWLES FOR IT “AND” THUS FAR HE BEEN A LOUSY “HEAD COACH”! Great with the defense and is a wonderful d coach STILL A LIER! But he SUCKS concerning ANYTHING on the Offensive side of the ball. Also HE’S THE WORST GAME MANAGER IN ALL OF FOOTBALL! Which equals, HE’S NOT THE BRIGHTEST BULB ON THE CHRISTMAS TREE!!!
And did I mention, HE’S A BOLD FACE LIER TO THE FANS!!!
As far as I’m concerned, the SOONER HE’S GONE, THE BETTER! I Didn’t feel that way until THIS ARTICLE, THIS TRUTH was revealed….
And if you’re just a Johnny come lately, you just wouldn’t get it because you’re so busy hero worshipping one guy that you just don’t see the forest because the trees are right now in your way ..